How long does plum wine take to make?
In order to make plum wine, one must first source plums. Depending on the region, this could mean going to a farmer’s market, u-pick farm, or grocery store. Once you have sourced your plums, it is time to wash them. Next, you will need to remove the pit from the plum. To do this, there are a few different methods you can try. The most common method is to cut the plum in half and then twist the two halves in opposite directions. This should cause the pit to pop out from one of the halves.
After the pits have been removed, it is time to start crushing the plums. This can be done with a potato masher, food processor, or even by hand. The goal is to have a uniform pulp with no large chunks. Once the plums have been crushed, it is time to add sugar and water. The sugar to water ratio will depend on the sweetness of the plums. A good starting point is 1:1 sugar to water. So, for every 1 cup of sugar, add 1 cup of water.
After the sugar and water have been added, it is time to add yeast. Yeast is responsible for the fermentation process, which turns the sugar into alcohol. There are many different types of yeast that can be used for wine making. It is important to use a wine yeast, as other types of yeast will not produce the same results. Once the yeast has been added, the mixture should be stirred well and then left to sit for 24 hours.
After 24 hours have passed, it is time to strain the mixture. To do this, you will need to use a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Place the cheesecloth over a strainer and pour the mixture into the strainer. The pulp will stay in the cheesecloth while the liquid will drip into the bowl below. Once all of the liquid has strained through, it is time to bottle the wine.
Bottling the wine is relatively simple. You will need to sterilize the bottles that you will be using. To do this, you can boil them for 10 minutes or run them through the dishwasher. Once the bottles are sterilized, use a funnel to pour the wine into the bottles, being careful not to spill any. You will want to leave about 1 inch of space at the top of each bottle. This is important because as the wine continues to ferment, it will produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas needs to have somewhere to go or the bottles could explode.
After the wine has been bottled, you will need to store it somewhere where the temperature is consistent. A cellar or closet is a good option. It is important to store the wine on its side so that the cork does not dry out. If the cork dries out, it will no longer create a seal and air will be able to get into the bottle, which will cause the wine to spoil.
The final step is to wait. It takes at least 6 months for plum wine to mature. During this time, the yeast will continue to consume the sugar and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process will create sediment at the bottom of the bottle. This is normal and does not affect the quality of the wine. In fact, many people prefer to decant their wine prior to drinking it so that they do not have to deal with the sediment.
Plum wine is a delicious and relatively easy to make at home. With a few simple ingredients and a bit of patience, you can enjoy homemade plum wine any time of year.
What is the difference between plum wine and other fruit wines?
Other fruit wines are typically made from fermented juice, while plum wine is made by fermentation of the whole fruit. This distinction is important, because the fermentation of the fruit pulp and the skin can add tannins and other astringent qualities to the wine. Plum wine is also generally higher in alcohol content than other fruit wine.
Visit howtomakewinefromgrapes.com to learn more about make plum wine. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.